Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream

Crisp apples and rich caramel sauce are baked into a moist and tender cake. Topped with a creamy, buttery cinnamon buttercream frosting and you have the most amazing dessert for fall.

Fall in your mouth….that’s how a friend described these cupcakes. I can’t say I don’t agree with her. I mean…come on. Caramel apples and cinnamon in a cupcake. It doesn’t get much more fall than that….unless you pair one with a Pumpkin Spice Latte. That could turn any bad day into the BEST DAY EVER! Or pretty darn close. What would be even better is if the weather got just a little crisper than 88 degrees and you could wear boots and a bulky sweater while stuffing your face with one of these puppies.

I love cupcakes because they are a feeble attempt at portion control. But if the cupcake is just mind-blowing and not at all rich….like these…you will probably want to eat 6. I may have stopped at 6. I may not have stopped at 6. All I know is….I had no self-control and had to send them to work with Katie. Again.

But I will be making these again…soon. See, they’re super easy and I used Smucker’s Salted Caramel Sauce to make things even easier. When you have a hankering for something with caramel…sometimes you don’t feel like dealing with creating a sauce that’s as hot as the surface of the sun. And I ALWAYS forget it’s smoldering and taste it thus creating third degree burns on my tongue that eliminate any ability to taste for about 3 weeks. It never fails. So to save the drama and the pain….commercial sauce can be a good thing. And what I LOVE about Smucker’s Salted Caramel is I recognize EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT on the label. So….it’s as good as homemade. My tongue loves that.

Don’t get your undies in a bunch if your cupcakes don’t rise with the beautiful dome we all look to achieve. These are more flattish on top which is the best surface to heap the Cinnamon Buttercream. And this buttercream is king…..I would put this on everything. You will see this make an appearance again very, very soon. But in the meantime….put on some shorts and flip-flops and whip up these Caramel Apple Cupcakes. Maybe mother nature will smell them and flip the switch on the summer weather we’ve been having.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the milk and stir to combine. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix to combine but don't over beat. Add the vanilla, 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce and apples and mix well.

Pour the batter into a muffin tin lined with cupcake wrappers filling each 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool on a baking rack.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the remaining 2 sticks of butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and half and half until light and fluffy. Transfer to an airtight container and allow to stand for 1-2 hours before piping on the cupcakes.

Top the cupcakes with the buttercream using a knife to spread or filling a pastry bag and piping on each cake. Drizzle each cupcake with the remaining caramel sauce and sprinkle with peanuts.

Serve immediately.

Note: The cupcakes can be made up to one day in advance and stored in an airtight container. The buttercream can be made 48 hours in advance and stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

LOVE!!! I’d stop at 6, then an hour later I’d eat another 6, then an hour later I’d eat another 6. THEN I’d give them away. Or actually I’d ask my husband to give them away, because at that point someone will have to roll me everywhere. I am swooning over these cupcakes.

welcome to the suburban soapbox!

Hi! I'm Kellie and I LOVE food! Creating recipes and happy bellies is my favorite thing in the world. I believe a good life tastes great and my easy recipes help make that happen every day. Welcome to my little corner of the internet!